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A'. s'. LYMA'N, oF FNE'W" iz'oR'K,

SEPARATING 'THE `rnsnn orlwoon specification omettere.' raient' No. 21,677;datedllngustpa, 185e.

To all 'whom it may conce/r11.: I

Be it known that I, A. S. LYMAN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have linvented a new and improved inode ofv effecting the separation ofthe ibers of wood for the 1n\anufacture ofpape'r and of flax and other fibrous substances for the man-ufacture of cloth and for other urposes; and I do hereby declare that the fo lowino is a full an'd exact description thereof, reijerence being had to the accom anying drawings and to the letters of re erence marked thereon.

It is well known that the fibers of most kinds of wood are arranged in the form of very minute tubes in which the vsap* circulates.

My improved method of separating these'` fibers consists in placing the wood `orother fibrous materlal 1n a strong cyllnder or box in which it is subjected to the action of hot 4 water, steam, compressed air or otherfluid under pressure; for the purpose of -vcharging its tubes and then causing it to be suddenly projected from vthe said cylinder or recep, tacle into the atmosphere or into a partial vacuum vwhere each ofthe tubes is by the expansive force actingwithin it, burst open 'and the whole of the mass converted intoI liber.

The accompanyingdrawin'g which forms part of this specification exhibitsa lon 'tuinal central section of a cylinder, or as rom its operation' it may be termed a gun for effecting the separation of fibers. This gun may be of any suitable length and caliberf but I consider forlpractical purposes it willf be convenient to have! it about seveninches diameter internally and from twenty to twenty-five feet long as it may thenbe made by taking a pieceor pieces of lapwelded iron tubing and permanently closlng 'one' end. The other end is rfitted with a movable head or cap B which is fitted to it afterthe fashion of a valve with al suitable lpacking for making a steam 'tight oint, andlnorder to provide for securing this-'cap valve B, firmly in its place, to close thegun, -Iiattach to one sidel of the gun by a rigid arm and hinge joint D,a strong lever c, which is capable of being brought to-a position across the cap B, and secured in that 'position' by a hook E, at one end ofthe lever .H,which is attached to the gun on itsoppositeside by the hinge joint z'. The other end of theflever E, has hinged to it a prop piece c' which is 3employedrest upon the side ofthe gun -for the ypurpose of securingthe hook E-upon the lever o. n, i

Sis a screwy working in the lever c, for the purpose of securing the cap closely to the mout-hor muzzle of the gun and m, is one of the screw bolts which attach the cap loosely to the .lever c. tened firmly in the valve B and slidin in Several of these bolts .fas-

the lever care usedy for the purpose o retaining the cap B at the time'of the explosion. Thisr gun is to Abe placed in a slightly inclined position so thatasrnall quantity of water shall settle near the breech end. It should be mounted in a very strong frame to sustain it against recoil. I prefer to have the wood or other .brous substancey saturated with` water before it is put into the gun. -When put in, the lever c is brought up and secured by bringing down the hook E of the leverv H `upon it andsettingu'p the prop piecev K. .Then `the strong screw s is driven-in to close the-cap B tightly. Next We expelthe air by opening a small valve notshown and letting in the steam by an'- othery small tube vnot shown'but near the opposite end' of the gun from the airv escape valve When the air ils/expelled. close the `air valve and open'the valve in another small tube connecting the boiler and gun so that the water that condense's in the gun may run 'back down into the boiler. If large sticks of wood are in the gun-the steam must :be admitted `for some minutesV to heat 'them through. If hemp, flax, orl straw is to be separated less time is required in the steam.

I=have found a pressure of one hundred and eighty lbs. per inch is about right for separating pinev for paper, but a much less pressure' will answer lfor flax'- or straw.

When the heathas sutlicientlyV penetrated the ibroussubstance to be exploded, the cap B may be set free which is done by removing the prop piece /c` when if theangle on the hook E 1s properly ymade the pressureofthe steam inthe cylinder gun will raisethe end YE of 4the lever Hand driveroii' the cap B 'and free thatend of the gun.-H The small Vvquantity-'of hot` water atnthebreech ofthe'4 v'gun' now drives out the contents ofthe ygun 'into the atmosphere. As vit emerges from thev gun', 5 being freed vfrom 'outside pressure, the lsudden rconversion', of a portionotthe `waterin its tubes ory ibers into steamofhigh tension bursts and separates these fibers.

It is evident that the apparatus employed lin the performance of my invention and the mode of performin it may be modified considerably without eparting from the principle thereof. For instance, instead of using a separate boiler to supply steam to the gun the steam may be generated and theY water heated in the gun itself by placing therein a quantity of water and applying the necessary heat to the exterior of the gun. Again, before subjecting the ibrous substance to the action of Water or steam the air may be extracted from it by means of an air pump. It is also evident that instead of water alcohol or other liquid or any elastic gas may be used. -The invention may also bea plicable to the separation of the fibers of other than vegetable substances and for a variety of purposes.

. What I claiin` asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is.-`

The mode of separating the fibers of wood, ax, or other fibrous substance, for paper, cloth or other purposes, by charging the mass with hot water, steam, compressed air or other elastic Huid While in a cylinder or other suitable receptacle and then causing it to be projected from said receptacle into the 'atmospheres or any space Where it is subjected to a suiiiciently less ressure to cause its disruption by the sud en expansion of the fluid within it substantially as above specified.

AZEL STORRS LYMAN.

Witnesses: Y

EDM. F. BROWN, G. Y. A. LEE. 

